Don Drumm

(Warren, Ohio, 1935 - )

North America, American

Born in Warren, Ohio in 1935 as the grandson of a blacksmith and the son of an auto mechanic, Don Drumm was drawn to working with metals from an early age. After earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in fine art at Kent State University, he first worked in industrial design before opening an art studio in 1960 on a quiet street near The University of Akron. Since then, Don Drumm Studios & Gallery has grown to encompass eight buildings, including a gallery that represents hundreds of artists from around the United States.

Through his studio, Drumm produces a large output of decorative and functional arts that includes everything from original sculpture to cookware and jewelry. He was among the first artists in the United States to use cast aluminum as an artistic medium, and the artist also works in pewter and stainless steel. He created works in bronze during his early career, and in architectural contexts he has at times employed tinted cement.

Drumm’s works are installed in private homes, public parks, office buildings, commercial businesses, schools, and libraries throughout Akron and around the country. His significant contributions to Akron’s art scene have been acknowledged through a variety of awards, including Ohio Designer Crafts’ “Lifetime Achievement Award,” being named among Akron’s “Outstanding Contributors of the Century” by the Akron Beacon Journal, and becoming the first recipient of the “Outstanding Visual Artist Award” from the Akron Area Arts Alliance.

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